Transceiver configuration for millimeter wave wireless communications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016248451-A1
Application number	US-201514838672-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 28, 2015
Priority date	Feb 23, 2015
Publication date	Aug 25, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices are described for transceiver architecture for millimeter wave wireless communications. A device may include two transceiver chip modules configured to communicate in different frequency ranges. The first transceiver chip module may include a baseband sub-module, a first radio frequency front end (RFFE) component and associated antenna array. The second transceiver chip module may include a second RFFE component and associated antenna array. The second transceiver chip module may be separate from the first transceiver chip module. The second transceiver chip module may be electrically coupled to the baseband sub-module of the first transceiver chip module.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:
a first transceiver chip module comprising a baseband sub-module associated with a baseband signal, a first radio frequency front end (RFFE) component and associated first antenna array, the first RFFE component and associated first antenna array configured to communicate in a first frequency range; and a second transceiver chip module comprising a second RFFE component and associated second antenna array, the second transceiver chip module separate from and electrically coupled with the baseband sub-module of the first transceiver chip module, the second RFFE component and associated second antenna array configured to communicate in a second frequency range different from the first frequency range.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a single coaxial cable electrically coupling the second transceiver chip module with the baseband sub-module.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second transceiver chip module is configured to receive at least one of the baseband signal, or a local oscillator signal, a control signal, or combinations thereof, from the baseband sub-module of the first transceiver chip module.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second transceiver chip module further comprises:
a frequency converter configured to up-convert the baseband signal received from the baseband sub-module and output a signal within the second frequency range for wireless transmission, the frequency converter being further configured to down-convert a signal received from the second RFFE component for wireless reception and output a signal having a frequency of the baseband signal.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the baseband sub-module further comprises:
a first modem configured to communicate in the first frequency range; and a second modem configured to communicate in the second frequency range.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the baseband sub-module further comprises:
a dual-band modem configured to communicate in the first frequency range and in the second frequency range.

7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein signals of the first frequency range are time-division multiplexed with signals of the second frequency range.

8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first RFFE component is a zero-intermediate frequency (IF) RFFE and the second RFFE component is a sliding IF RFFE.

9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the baseband signal is within the first frequency range, the baseband signal being used as an intermediate frequency (IF) for the second transceiver chip module and converted to the second frequency range.

10 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first frequency range is lower than the second frequency range.

11 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first frequency range is associated with a wireless telecommunication system and the second frequency range is associated with a Wi-Fi communication system.

12 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first frequency range and the second frequency range are millimeter wave frequency ranges.

13 . A method for wireless communication, comprising:
communicating in a first frequency range via a first transceiver chip module, the first transceiver chip module comprising a baseband sub-module associated with a baseband signal and a first radio frequency front end (RFFE) component and associated first antenna array, the first RFFE component and associated first antenna array configured to communicate in the first frequency range; and communicating in a second frequency range via a second transceiver chip module, the second transceiver chip module comprising a second RFFE component and associated second antenna array, the second transceiver chip module separate from and electrically coupled with the baseband sub-module of the first transceiver chip module, the second RFFE component and associated second antenna array configured to communicate in the second frequency range different from the first frequency range.

14 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
coupling, the baseband sub-module of the first transceiver chip module with the second transceiver chip module using a single coaxial cable.

15 . A method of wireless communication at a millimeter wave (mmW) base station, comprising:
performing a beam sweep operation on beams created by two or more arrays of a plurality of antenna arrays; and selecting an array from the plurality of antenna arrays for communication with a target wireless device based at least in part on the beam sweep operation.

16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
determining that a target throughput is greater than a threshold; determining that a transceiver for the target wireless device is available, the transceiver operating in a first mmW frequency range; and transmitting a handoff signal to the target wireless device based at least in part on the determination that the target throughput is greater than the threshold, the determination that the transceiver is available, and the beam sweep operation, wherein the handoff signal directs the target wireless device to use the transceiver for communication.

17 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
transmitting an activation signal to the target wireless device directing the target wireless device to activate the transceiver; and communicating with the target wireless device using the selected array and the transceiver.

18 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
selecting an initial array from the plurality of antenna arrays for the beam sweep operation, wherein performing the beam sweep operation comprises sweeping through each of a first plurality of beams associated with the initial array.

19 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
determining that a channel parameter associated with the array satisfies a threshold condition based at least in part on the beam sweep operation, wherein selecting the array is based at least in part on the determination.

20 . The method of claim 15 , wherein a first array of the plurality of antenna arrays is located at an opposite side of the mmW base station relative to a second array of the plurality of antenna arrays based at least in part on a spatial diversity configuration.

21 . The method of claim 15 , wherein at least one array of the plurality of antenna arrays is configured for operation in a mmW frequency range.

22 . An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:
a baseband chip module comprising first baseband circuitry for baseband processing of wireless communications in a first frequency range and second baseband circuitry for baseband processing of wireless communications in a second frequency range; and a dual-transceiver chip module separate from and in electrical communication with the baseband chip module, the dual-transceiver chip module comprising a dual-band radio frequency front end (RFFE) component, a first antenna array adapted for wireless communications in the first frequency range, and a second antenna array adapted for wireless communications in the second frequency range, the dual-band RFFE component coupled with the first antenna array and the second antenna array, wherein at least one of the first frequency range and the second frequency range are millimeter wave frequency ranges.

23 . The apparatus of claim 22 , further comprising:
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Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Weissman Haim Mendel
• Raviv Lior
• He Xiaoyin
• Aparin Vladimir

Classifications

• H04B1/40 Primary

  Circuits · CPC title

• H04B1/0064 Primary

  with separate antennas for the more than one band (H04B1/0053 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04W72/0453

  Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA · CPC title

• H04W72/542

  using measured or perceived quality · CPC title

• H04B7/0695

  using beam selection · CPC title